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(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Nancy Carpenter.
Modesty decreed that Queen Victoria mustn't be seen in her bathing costume. It's Prince Albert to the rescue with a queen-sized bathing machine. This entertaining story nicely encapsulates a curious bit of social history, with a jaunty tall-tale tone governing a rhymed text. The stifling frills of Victorian dress; the loving couple's delight in each other--Carpenter renders each in comical detail. Reading list, websites.

(4)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Amanda Hall.
When Kumar goes to celebrate Diwali at his classmate's house, Andal's grandmother, raised a Brahmin, does not allow the Dalit ("untouchable" in former times) boy to stay. Kumar's grandfather explains that the India of the future will be different. This purposive story about Indian caste prejudice can open discussion about discrimination. Hall's vivid folk art–style paintings enliven the setting. Glos.

(3)
YA
Two years after the events of Small Acts of Amazing Courage, Rosalind, still devoted to Gandhi's movement for Indian independence despite her British officer father's staunch disapproval, is in a position to make a difference when the Prince of Wales visits. Strong-willed Rosy is a sympathetic protagonist, and Whelan evokes 1920s India--its scenery, the culture, political and social tensions--beautifully. Glos.

(3)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Steve Adams.
Cook focuses on a boy in the south of France who dreams of following in his chef father's footsteps. Year is about an Irish girl whose family members are nomadic Travelers. Whelan aptly describes the children's attitudes toward their unusual lives. Both books' illustrations are eye-pleasing and highlight unique aspects of each culture. Glos. Review covers these Tales of the World titles: The Boy Who Wanted to Cook and Megan's Year.

(3)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Beth Peck.
Cook focuses on a boy in the south of France who dreams of following in his chef father's footsteps. Year is about an Irish girl whose family members are nomadic Travelers. Whelan aptly describes the children's attitudes toward their unusual lives. Both books' illustrations are eye-pleasing and highlight unique aspects of each culture. Glos. Review covers these Tales of the World titles: The Boy Who Wanted to Cook and Megan's Year.

(4)
YA
Kate shows up on her estranged, famous artist father's doorstep hoping for a place to stay while attending art school. But he's harshly unreceptive to her efforts--and dying of cirrhosis. Eventually dropping out to care for Dad full-time, Kate reconnects with him. The relationship between the two is so strained that it's not entirely believable when they finally come together.

(3)
YA
Fifteen-year-old Rosalind, the freethinking daughter of a major in the British Indian army, experiences her first stirrings of social justice in post-WWI India. Rosy's interest in Gandhi's nonviolent protests gets her sent to live with aunts in England, but she remains steadfast in her views. Issues of self-determination are played out both politically and personally in this thought-provoking coming-of-age story. Glos.

(3)
4-6
Eleanor, a patient at the insane asylum where Verna and Carlie's father works, takes on household duties for the family. The girls grow to love Eleanor but must reconcile their feelings with what the world thinks of her. Whelan's author's note explains more about the movement during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries to provide humane care for the mentally ill.

(4)
K-3
Tales of Young Americans series.
Illustrated by
Mike Benny.
Three slave children including Ella May, the story's narrator, hide near their master's home to listen for news. This is how they learn, for example, that Lincoln has won the election. The text, while occasionally informative, is stilted. The paintings can be awkwardly exaggerated, but the muted palette lends gravitas to the tale.

(3)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Pascal Milelli.
Eight-year-old Zulviya and the girls in her family spend their days weaving rugs, just like their mothers and grandmothers have always done. Impressionistic paintings in muted colors accompany Zulviya's lyrical description of her Afghan homeland and her yearning to escape "the shadow of the loom." An author's note provides details about illegal child labor in the Afghani rug-making industry.

(3)
4-6
Ten years after the fall of the Nazis, Peter, a young German boy, learns the secret of his past: the people he thought were his parents actually rescued him from a train bound for the Dachau concentration camp. Peter's resultant struggles with his identity are well integrated with an evolving perspective on his country's shameful history.

(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Oki S. Han.
"E is for Emperor. / In his garden where he goes for a stroll / the beauty of the flowers stirs the emperor's soul. / He gazes into the water of the moat, / a fish swims by and he makes a note." Awkward poems and more informative sidebars describe Japanese history from ancient times to today. Effectively subdued paintings illustrate the text. Glos.

(3)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Yan Nascimbene.
Yuki and her mother must travel to Edo (Tokyo) when Yuki's father, a provincial governor, is called there by the shogun. In straightforward narration and descriptive haiku, Yuki observes the ancient Japanese countryside; she also describes the men who transport the traveling party and goods on their backs. Serene and expansive illustrations enhance the story of Yuki's journey.

(4)
YA
In alternating narratives, Silvia and her brother, Eduardo, tell of their lives in Argentina in 1977. Eduardo is imprisoned for protesting against the military-run government; Silvia devises a plan to rescue him and ends up placing herself in danger as well. The siblings' narratives effectively evoke the time and setting, but their characters aren't completely fleshed out. Reading list.

(4)
K-3
Tales of the World series.
Illustrated by
Peter Sylvada.
Yatandou tells how the lives of women in her Malian village change when a machine takes over the laborious, often painful job of beating millet into meal. There's a gentle message about the value of education and technology, but the voice isn't always convincingly an eight-year-old girl's. The warm impressionistic paintings are rich with the colors of the West African setting.

(3)
4-6
In 1907, sixteen-year-old Julia Hamilton travels with her father, an uptight British foreign service worker, through Istanbul, Beirut, Damascus, Palmyra, and Alexandretta. There's a lot to like in this novel with the feel of an Agatha Christie mystery: exotic settings, dramatic scenery, mysterious characters, and romance. Readers will also learn some fascinating history about turn-of-the-century imperialism that echoes modern times.

(4)
4-6
In a sequel to The Impossible Journey, Georgi and Marya struggle in 1941 war-torn Leningrad. Marya works to save Russia's treasures in the Hermitage, while Georgi smuggles food over the frozen river. The characters do not come to life as individuals, but the story is ripe with historical detail, conveying a nostalgic affection for the glories of St. Petersburg. Bib., glos.

(4)
4-6
Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju runs away from her village in southern China when her family's second daughter is born and her grandmother plans to give the baby away. The satisfying if implausible story (stoic heroine triumphs over poverty and harsh laws) is too formulaic to put us inside an individual mind and heart, or to convey a specific sense of place.

(2)
4-6
When thirteen-year-old Marya's parents, deposed aristocrats, are taken by the Soviet secret police, she determines to reunite the family. Her journey with her younger brother, Georgi, is a bold adventure in exotic territory. The desperate plight of Russians under Stalin is only too real. Marya and Georgi, with their perseverance and unfailing love for their parents, win our sympathy, entreating us to see them safely to the end.